British Court Hears Palestine Action Activists Threatened Elbit Guards With Whips And Hammers

Trial for Elbit raid

A British court heard that Palestine Action activists brandished whips, hammers and kebab skewers to intimidate security guards during a break-in at an Israel-linked arms factory, the Elbit systems factory in Filton, near Bristol.

“‘Shut Elbit Down. This is our primary objective as Palestine Action.”

The Guardian

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the jury that an alleged plan of the raid said: "Shut Elbit Down. This is our primary objective as Palestine Action."

BBC

Jurors heard that a security guard, Nigel Shaw, suffered a 4cm laceration to his head after being attacked, and Heer said the black team threatened, intimidated and, if necessary, assaulted guards by throwing fireworks and brandishing weapons such as whips and hammers.

The court heard that a prison van, driven by a member of the red team, crashed through the first perimeter fence at about 3.30am, and the black team followed on foot shouting slogans including "Free Palestine" as the van was driven through a second perimeter fence.

The trial continued with the five defendants, Qesser Zuhrah, Zahra Farooque, Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi, and Liam Mullany, denying charges of criminal damage and violent disorder over the raid during the early hours of 6 August 2024.

SourcesThe GuardianBBC

Masked teams and slogans

The BBC said jurors heard that prosecutors accused the defendants of being part of a "black team", wearing black jumpsuits, whose role was to overwhelm security guards so a "red team", wearing red jumpsuits, could break into the factory and destroy property. BThe court heard that footage appeared to show black team members lighting fireworks and launching them toward security guards, while others cracked whips and raised kebab skewers as they swore and shouted at guards to "back off". The Guardian said the prosecutor described the black team as "coverts" because the intention was "to get away without being caught", unlike the red team who were labelled "overts".

The BBC said the court heard that Zuhrah acted as a "co-ordinator" of the black team, with her role involving "recruiting people, encouraging them to join Palestine Action and training them". BThe BBC added that the black team followed the prison van through a second perimeter fence at the site of the firm, whose parent company is based in Israel, while the trial continued.B

Bristol Live

SourcesBBCThe Guardian

Protest labeled terrorism

A separate British court case described by a rights-focused outlet said a British court issued guilty verdicts against four activists from the Palestine Action movement in connection with their storming of an Israeli Elbit Systems military-industrial facility in Britain in 2024. Judge Jeremy Jones said the defendants’ actions included serious property damage, were designed to influence the British government and intimidate a segment of the public, and were linked to a political or ideological cause, with the judge noting that applicable laws require treating the crimes as terrorism-related. The outlet said the judge warned that the targeted public would include Elbit Systems employees and related companies, and it said the legal characterization intensifies the severity of the penalties when final judgments are issued.

Kerry Moscovitch warned that the case could represent a "new level of retreat" in handling the right to protest within the United Kingdom, and she said criminal damage to property has not previously been treated in the British judicial system as an act of terrorism. The same account said protesters chanted outside the court, including "Saving lives is not terrorism" and "I support the Palestine movement," while British police deployed 12 of its vans to secure the area around the court.

Sourcesوكالة شهاب الإخبارية